Men as Trees

“The trees of Jehovah are full, the cedars of Lebanon which He has planted;” (Psalms 104:16)

These are not actual trees that the Lord has planted. David used figurative language in describing God’s people. This verse is not about actual trees planted by the Lord. The Lord commanded the earth to bring forth all kinds of plants from the seeds in the earth. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth tender sprouts (the herb seeding seed and the fruit tree producing fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself) upon the earth; and it was so.” (Genesis 1:11) So God doesn’t plant trees. But God has planted the seed of His Word in people for His Will and purposes.

The cedars of Lebanon are coniferous trees meaning it’s an evergreen that grows cones and has needle-like leaves. It grows in the rocky slopes and ridges. They symbolize power and majesty in the Middle East and is known for its durability, pleasant aroma, and resistance to decay. It was a preferred material for building in ancient times. Solomon had cedar brought in to build the temple in Jerusalem. (Ezra 3:7) The cedar of Lebanon that once covered the land of Lebanon is now only a protected forest in Lebanon.

David knew it’s importance as a building material. He knew its properties and likened it to God’s people in this psalm. He states that they are full. The Hebrew word that he used means satisfied. A tree cannot be satisfied. He definitely used the tree symbolically to mean people. The King James, the New King James, Websters Bible Translations, the Lamasa Translation from Aramaic, the Brenton Septuagint Translation, the Coverdale Bible of 1535, A Faithful Version and the American King James, out of thirty-nine translations mention the sap, giving the verse a more literal meaning. But the use of the word meaning satisfied gives it a figurative meaning.

Similes are used throughout the Bible to clarify the meaning of what the author wrote. Trees are used figuratively in the Bible for people. The blind man that Jesus healed said “I see men as trees, walking.” Mark 8:24 Psalms declares “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is only in the Law of Jehovah; and in His Law he meditates day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivulets of water that brings forth its fruit in its seasons, and its leaf shall not wither, and all which he does shall be blessed.” (Psalm 1:1-3) Jeremiah in chapter 17, verses 7 and 8 wrote a similar thing. In Psalm 1, the unknown author paints the picture of a godly man who delights in God’s Law and meditates on it continually as a healthy tree that is watered continually by water. It bears fruit which God’s people are to do. (John 15:8; Galatians 5:22,23; Psalms 92:14 to name a few) Its leaves never wither referring to a man’s appearance and countenance. “Who is as the wise? And who knows the meaning of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.” (Ecclesiastes 8:1) And he is blessed in everything he does. (Psalm 1:3) Jesus uses the same simile when speaking about the good tree and the corrupt tree in Matthew 7:17-19. David is much more descriptive in Psalms 92. He writes explicitly that the righteous are like trees.  “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flowering;” (Psalms 92:12-14)

In a dream I had in a time of indecision of what to do, the Lord sent me a dream. In this dream, I was in a place where there were many baby mangrove trees. There were only women there, but they were grabbing these baby mangrove trees. Then these hands hand me a baby mangrove tree. I didn’t ask, but in my mind I was asking, “What am I to do with this?” And as I woke up the words were “dig deep roots.” So the Lord used a tree to symbolically tell me my life was to be like a mangrove tree and dig deep roots right where I was. Mangroves live in swampy places where there is water. So the Lord was showing me that I was to establish myself right where I was and live in the Lord.

To summarize, similes are used throughout the Bible to clarify or draw a picture of what the author means. Everyone is familiar with trees and knows that they have to be watered or they will wither and die. Comparing people to trees, illustrates that godly people are watered by the Lord and are spiritually strong and healthy.